Reagan has his highways. Lincoln has his memorial. Washington has the capital, and a state, too. But President George W. Bush may soon be the sole president to have a memorial named after him that you can contribute to from the bathroom.

From the Department of Damned-With-Faint-Praise, a group going by the regal-sounding name of the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco is planning to ask voters here to change the name of a prize-winning water-treatment plant on the shoreline to the George W. Bush Sewage Plant.

The plan - hatched, naturally, in a bar - would place a vote on the November ballot to provide "an appropriate honor for a truly unique president."

Supporters say that they have plenty of signatures to qualify the initiative and that the renaming would fit in a long and proud American tradition of poking political figures in the eye.

"Most politicians tend to be narcissistic and egomaniacs," said Brian McConnell, an organizer who regularly suits up as Uncle Sam to solicit signatures. "So it is important for satirists to help define their history rather than letting them define their own history."

Not surprisingly, those Republicans in a city that voted 83 percent Democratic in 2004 are not thrilled with the idea. Howard Epstein, chairman of the ever-outnumbered San Francisco Republican Party, called the initiative "an abuse of process."

"You got a bunch of guys drunk who came up with an idea," Epstein said, "and want to put on the ballot as a big joke without regard to the city's governance or cost."

The renaming would take effect on Jan. 20, when a new president is sworn in. And regardless of the measure's outcome, supporters plan to commemorate the inaugural with a "synchronized flush" of hundreds of thousands of toilets that would send a flood of water toward the plant, now named the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant.

"It's a way of doing something physical that's mentally freeing," said Stacey Reineccius, 45, a supporter of the plan. "It's a weird thing, but it's true."

The sky is falling on House Republicans and there is no sign of it letting up.

The GOP loss in Mississippi’s special election Tuesday is the strongest sign yet that the Republican Party is in shambles. And while some Republicans see a light at the end of the tunnel, that light more likely represents the Democratic train that is primed to mow down more Republicans in November.


The third straight House special election loss in three conservative districts this year is a clear indication that the GOP brand is turning off voters and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is in disarray. Republicans downplayed the special elections in Illinois and Louisiana, saying they were plagued with sub-par candidates but there is little they can spin on the loss in Mississippi. Despite a desperate last-minute fundraising drive and an appearance by Vice President Cheney they still fell short.

Travis Childers (D), who narrowly defeated Greg Davis (R) on Tuesday, will push the Democrats’ total in the House to 236 members. With six months to go until the elections, political analysts and observers are suggesting Democrats could reach 250 in the next Congress.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), who heads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said, “Congratulations to Travis Childers on his stunning victory. His victory has sent a political thunderbolt across America tonight.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said, “For the third time this year, Democrats have turned a red seat to blue, proving that Americans across our country want real solutions and reject Republicans' misleading and negative attacks.”

I thought you might be interested knowing about my reasons for voting against the confirmation of Judge Michael Mukasey to be the next attorney general. The Senate voted yesterday to confirm Judge Mukasey by a vote of 53 to 40.

The Constitution gives the president the authority to appoint individuals to lead the various executive agencies. It also imposes the duty on the United States Senate to give its advice and consent to these nominations.

In October, I asked Judge Mukasey a straightforward question: “Would you consider it inhumane to secure a detainee onto a flat surface and slowly pour water directly onto the detainee’s face or onto a towel covering the detainee’s face in a manner that induced a perception by the detainee that he was drowning?” That question to Judge Mukasey should have prompted a simple answer of “yes.” But, the Judge said that, while the tactic is “repugnant” to him, he cannot say it is inhumane without evaluating the “facts and circumstances.”

Judge Mukasey’s ambiguous response is more than deeply troubling. It sends a message that the abuses of detainees in U.S. custody may not have been categorically wrong, but that such acts might have been justified by the circumstances. The legality of mock drowning, or waterboarding, does not depend on the circumstances. It is illegal. Waterboarding clearly runs afoul of three federal statutes, the 1994 anti-torture statute, the Military Commissions Act, and the Detainee Treatment Act. It is also inconsistent with our obligations under Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions.

I have devoted significant time looking into the issue of detainee abuse and considering what is appropriate when it comes to the treatment of detainees in U.S. custody. Rebuilding the international respect for America that all of us desire requires a definitive commitment to treating all people, even our enemies, in a manner consistent with both our laws and basic human rights.

Judge Mukasey’s nomination comes at a critical time when America is faced with serious challenges both at home and abroad. We are at war in Iraq and Afghanistan and are engaged in a long-term struggle against al Qa’ida and other extremists. Military might alone will not be enough for us to win these fights. Strengthening America’s security requires us to harness the power of our ideals and values and lead a global effort to confront these threats. When we project moral hypocrisy or suggest that our commitment to our fundamental values depends on the circumstances, we lose the support of the world in our common efforts against common enemies, thereby compromising our own security.

Purposeful ambiguity about coercive interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding, is at the center of Judge Mukasey’s confirmation, just as it is at the center of how we are viewed in the world. That ambiguity is untenable and unacceptable in the person who, if confirmed, will symbolize America’s concept of justice before the world. For these reasons, I opposed Judge Mukasey’s nomination to be attorney general.

My full statement regarding the confirmation of Judge Mukasey to be attorney general can be found on my website at http://levin.senate.gov/newsroom/release.cfm?id=287140

Sincerely,
Carl Levin
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“At a time when the Justice Department is suffering from poor morale and our treatment of detainees has sullied our reputation overseas, we need an Attorney General who speaks with independent, moral clarity.

“Unfortunately, Judge Mukasey’s answers to questions put forward to him by members of the Judiciary Committee were evasive, overly legalistic and nearly identical to White House policy. In other words, I believe that Judge Mukasey will simply give us more of the same at the Justice Department and that is why I am opposing his nomination.”—U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today ordered United States flags throughout the state of Michigan and on Michigan waters lowered for one day on Thursday, October 4, 2007, in honor of Army Sergeant First Class Matthew D. Blaskowski, of Levering, who died September 23, while on active duty in Afghanistan. Flags should return to full-staff on Friday, October 5.

Sgt. 1st Class Blaskowski, age 27, died in Asadabad, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire during combat operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy.